Results tagged “coenbrothers”

Last week the unthinkable happened. Couples Retreat won the box office race taking in 35.3 million dollars. People, don't you realize what you have done? You've only encouraged the studios to make more bad romantic comedies. You've proven they can still make money off of less than mediocre offerings if they release them on a date where there's no competition. Yuck.

By John Alexander

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If you're looking for a fun yet complex novel to read in Rittenhouse on upcoming crisp fall days, look no further than local author Matthew Quick's debut novel The Silver Linings Playbook. At once comically dark (think Coen Brothers) and touching, this is a book that will have you cringing at the actions of the main character Pat Peoples while also whole-heartedly rooting for him as he attempts to assimilate himself back into society. Told as a narrative from Pat's point of view, the novel unfolds as he reenters society after living in a neural health facility for years, though his brain has blocked out memory of most of the time spent there and the past events leading up to his stay. We meet him as he is being sprung from the institution by his mother—a woman whose actions might very well remind you of the self-imposed martyrdom of your own mother—and follow along as he endeavours to improve himself in order to win back his estranged wife after their "apart time." He thinks that pounding his body with exercise, hydrating by doing shots of water, and reading the classics of literature will enable him to acheive this goal. Even though it seems clear to the reader that his behavior is foolish, Pat Peoples plods forth each day with the utmost optimism, a childlike vision that things will work out for the best. Even through dark times, his optimism is reinforced as he uses his own special form of augury by reading the clouds in the sky. Hope continues to abound for Pat Peoples, even though his life is quite messy. It would be virtually impossible for the blindly hopeful attitude of the character not to seep into the psyche of the reader. And certainly not to be forgotten, woven through all of this madness, Pat and the characters around him share the embattled love/hate relationship that many Philadelphians have with their beloved Eagles. The book takes place in and around the city of Philadelphia, and it's a special treat for Philadelphians to read a novel with such familiar settings.

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A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. Blender has annoyed us with their lists before, but we can't help but post something that claims to be The 100 Greatest Rock & Roll Movies of All Time. And we do like a lot of their picks in the top ten (even if they did include the horrendously bad, incredibly overrated Purple Rain). Could DC be planning to kill off Bruce Wayne/Batman??...

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend

Pillowman Ticket Giveaway
10/2/06-10/7/06